DC9-30 crew had lav smoke alarm sound on short approach and landing at dtw.

Attributes
ACN	501819
Time
Date	200101
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground other : after lndg
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	501819
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 4
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After landing, enroute to the gate, the aft flight attendant reported: 'aft right lavatory smoke detector is going off,' to the lead flight attendant. The lead flight attendant relayed the message to the captain and moved aft to investigate. The aft lav door was opened to check for smoke and/or fire. None was found. This was reported to the captain. Flight attendant's continued to investigate. They opened the under sink cabinet. Noting a suspicious 'amber glow', under the sink, with the smoke alarm still 'on', they discharged one halon fire extinguisher into the area below the sink. They also removed the trash bin and determined that the entire area was cold and that there was no smell of smoke. Meanwhile, the captain declared an emergency and continued to monitor the situation and taxied to the gate. The co-pilot coordinated all of the communications with ATC and ramp control. Upon arrival at the gate normal deplaning occurred (with the smoke alarm still on) and the fire department personnel entered the aircraft through the aft air stairs. All crew members were consulted, following the termination of the event no one reported any 'post incident' stress. All chose to continue as scheduled. The aft flight attendant recalled that the smoke alarm actually started to 'buzz' on short final. Because she had not been trained to know what the alarm sounded like and because of the very high noise level in that area. It was not until after clearing the runway, with the engines at idle, that she could clearly hear and identify the smoke alarm tone! The flight attendant's have not been trained in how to unlatch the (hidden) mechanism holding the under sink cabinet door. The flight attendant's are not aware of the presence of the 'amber light' under the lav sink, associated with the water heater! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated he submitted an extensive report to the company has ignored his suggestions and no changes in flight attendant training are scheduled or have taken company. He documented the alleged deficiency in flight attendant training. He then followed up the report with personal contact with flight attendant training and air carrier flight safety. As far as he knows the co place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-30 CREW HAD LAV SMOKE ALARM SOUND ON SHORT APCH AND LNDG AT DTW.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, ENROUTE TO THE GATE, THE AFT FA RPTED: 'AFT RIGHT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR IS GOING OFF,' TO THE LEAD FA. THE LEAD FA RELAYED THE MSG TO THE CAPT AND MOVED AFT TO INVESTIGATE. THE AFT LAV DOOR WAS OPENED TO CHK FOR SMOKE AND/OR FIRE. NONE WAS FOUND. THIS WAS RPTED TO THE CAPT. FA'S CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE. THEY OPENED THE UNDER SINK CABINET. NOTING A SUSPICIOUS 'AMBER GLOW', UNDER THE SINK, WITH THE SMOKE ALARM STILL 'ON', THEY DISCHARGED ONE HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER INTO THE AREA BELOW THE SINK. THEY ALSO REMOVED THE TRASH BIN AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE AREA WAS COLD AND THAT THERE WAS NO SMELL OF SMOKE. MEANWHILE, THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE SIT AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. THE CO-PLT COORDINATED ALL OF THE COMS WITH ATC AND RAMP CTL. UPON ARR AT THE GATE NORMAL DEPLANING OCCURRED (WITH THE SMOKE ALARM STILL ON) AND THE FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL ENTERED THE ACFT THROUGH THE AFT AIR STAIRS. ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE CONSULTED, FOLLOWING THE TERMINATION OF THE EVENT NO ONE RPTED ANY 'POST INCIDENT' STRESS. ALL CHOSE TO CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED. THE AFT FA RECALLED THAT THE SMOKE ALARM ACTUALLY STARTED TO 'BUZZ' ON SHORT FINAL. BECAUSE SHE HAD NOT BEEN TRAINED TO KNOW WHAT THE ALARM SOUNDED LIKE AND BECAUSE OF THE VERY HIGH NOISE LEVEL IN THAT AREA. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER CLRING THE RWY, WITH THE ENGS AT IDLE, THAT SHE COULD CLEARLY HEAR AND IDENTIFY THE SMOKE ALARM TONE! THE FA'S HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED IN HOW TO UNLATCH THE (HIDDEN) MECHANISM HOLDING THE UNDER SINK CABINET DOOR. THE FA'S ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE 'AMBER LIGHT' UNDER THE LAV SINK, ASSOCIATED WITH THE WATER HEATER! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED HE SUBMITTED AN EXTENSIVE RPT TO THE COMPANY HAS IGNORED HIS SUGGESTIONS AND NO CHANGES IN FA TRAINING ARE SCHEDULED OR HAVE TAKEN COMPANY. HE DOCUMENTED THE ALLEGED DEFICIENCY IN FA TRAINING. HE THEN FOLLOWED UP THE RPT WITH PERSONAL CONTACT WITH FA TRAINING AND ACR FLT SAFETY. AS FAR AS HE KNOWS THE CO PLACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.